15 lectures 31 minutes each 1 Interviewing Kin and Mining Home Sources One of the foundations of genealogy (and one of its most enjoyable aspects): interviewing relatives. Here, Dr. Colletta introduces you to several strategies and 10 vital tips to help you get the most out of sitting down with family members and transforming pleasant conversations into solid foundations for future detective work.x 2 Genealogy Online—Gems and Junk It’s unthinkable to do genealogy today without the Internet. But not all online sources are reliable. First, take a look at the benefits (and drawbacks) of government, nonprofit, and commercial online sites. Then, learn how to make sense of U.S. population censuses—the most important record for constructing lineage in America.x 3 The Library—Shelves Full of Family History Learn how to tap into the wealth of library material to get solid answers to the “why” behind events in the past. You’ll tour genealogies and family histories; histories of states, counties, cities, and towns; the Periodical Source Index (PERSI); and several types of maps (which help ground events in the physical world).x 4 Military Service and Homestead Records Holding a document your ancestor once held is a thrilling experience; and this intimate link to your forebears is more readily accessible than ever. Train yourself to navigate through both military records (including service and pension records) and homestead files (which encompass 33 public domain states from 1863 to the 1970s).x 5 How to Build Historical Context Step away from research and explore how to use historical content to transform your facts into engaging life stories. Dr. Colletta reveals seven steps for building effective historical context, including examining your sources in light of local history, and using history to test a hypothesis about how an event transpired.x 6 Your Ancestors in Ship Passenger Lists Learn how to make sense of passenger arrival records: the single most precious document for reconstructing your ancestors’ voyage to North America. Using several key guideposts and sources (including colonial land records and immigrant directories), you can uncover facts about arrivals from colonial days through the 1950s.x 7 Your Ancestors in Naturalization Records Did your immigrant ancestors become U.S. citizens? Did they procrastinate, or not naturalize at all? Dr. Colletta reveals how naturalization records can answer these and other biographical questions. You’ll focus on adapting your research to three major naturalization periods: prior to 1790, 1790 to 1906, and 1906 to today.x 8 The Genealogical Proof Standard Strengthen your skills as a family history detective with this in-depth look at the Genealogical Proof Standard, the five-step process that certified genealogists use for proving ancestral identities, relationships, life events, and other biographical details. Then, wrap up the lecture with a fascinating look at the nature of evidence.x 9 Your Ancestors in the County Courthouse Discover how to work your way through the courthouse records of the county where your ancestors resided. Using the two most common types of courts (circuit and chancery), you’ll examine how to read courthouse materials, including probate packets, vital records, tax rolls, and even colonial-era records such as indentures and apprenticeships.x 10 Your Ancestors in State Records Good genealogists always take advantage of local sources outside the courthouse as well, including state archives, which hold records that resulted between the administration of state laws. Here, you’ll learn how to tap into the information found in original sources (such as census and military records) and derivative sources (including maps and newspapers).x 11 How to Write Biography Explore the process of writing about your ancestors in a way that’s memorable—but that always adheres to the truth. Learn how to compose timelines; how to build historical context around life events; how to search for (and find) a life’s central theme; how to select the right literary format; and more.x 12 Dos and Don’ts of Writing History Writing about the past is fraught with snares. Find out how to sidestep them with Dr. Colletta’s dos and don’ts for writing historical narratives. These include using period vocabulary; evoking the senses through sounds, textures, and aromas; and avoiding the danger of viewing the past through the lens of the present.x 13 Searching in Your Ancestors’ Backyards At some point during your detective work, you’ll have to actually visit where your ancestors lived. In this helpful lecture, discover how to use key local resources you’ll need to rely on for success in your research: cemeteries, records of churches and synagogues, city directories, local libraries, and historical societies.x 14 Assembling an Account of Your Discoveries You’ve learned how to build context and write an engaging narrative. Now, examine the best ways to organize your material and assemble a lasting account of your unique heritage. What are the fundamental questions you’ll need to answer before writing? What are the five elements essential to any multigenerational account?x 15 Extending Your Family Tree Overseas Conclude the course with a peek at how to research records outside the United States. Focusing on his experiences in Europe, Dr. Colletta reveals what essential facts you need to know about your immigrant ancestors, and how to overcome six major challenges to accessing and using historical materials in foreign countries.x

Few experiences in life are as enriching and rewarding as researching your family history. To trace your ancestral roots is to take part in an exciting detective story; one that asks you to rebuild the past from oral tradition, written records, and artifacts, such as family photographs. Genealogy, however, is about more than just digging up the past. It’s a journey of self-discovery that can teach you as much about yourself as about those who came before you. After all, your ancestors’ story is your story as well. But most important: It’s a way for you to uncover and write one of the most important stories you could ever tell—one that’s unique to your individual life; one that no one else can tell; and one that you can pass down to future generations. But there’s an obstacle that holds many of us back from unearthing our family history: uncertainty about how to go about it.

Which online resources and databases should you use—or trust? How do you make your way through the tangles of public records out there? How do you bring separate facts and events together into a complete story you can share with future generations?

With Discovering Your Roots: An Introduction ­­to Genealogy, you’ll learn the same skills and methodologies the experts use to solve genealogical mysteries and create compelling nonfiction narratives about the past. In 15 engaging lectures, genealogist, writer, and lecturer John Philip Colletta shows you how to uncover information from the long-forgotten past in the most effective ways possible. Maybe you’re working on a family tree. Maybe you’re writing a personal memoir. Maybe you’re just curious about how people rebuild history. Whatever your reasons, this lecture series is your chance to plunge into the past and start finding the life-changing insights about where you come from. Learn the Tools of the Trade “Genealogical inquiry is a progression from the known to the unknown,” remarks Dr. Colletta. “You always start with a few known facts that allow you to access the sources that will yield new facts. Then those new facts allow you to access other sources for more facts. And so on, further and further back in time.” To help you navigate the winding road into your family’s past, Discovering Your Roots provides you with smart and savvy ways to find—and use—the most helpful online and print resources available today. These include the following:

Interviews with living relatives, who can often provide you with the names and events that will serve as the foundation for future research U.S. population censuses, the single most important historical records for constructing American lineage The Periodical Source Index (PERSI), an online index of 11,000 genealogy and local history periodicals from the mid-1800s to today The National Archives and Records Administration, which holds millions of records documenting your ancestors’ dealings with U.S. government agencies Passenger arrival records, which can help you recreate an ancestor’s voyage to America Court records, including dockets, minutes, case files, and probate packets

You’ll also learn a practicing genealogist’s tools of the trade for working with these and other sources, as well as countless tips for making your own research more useful. You’ll discover

how to make your interview subjects more engaged and informative; how to judge the reliability and veracity of the information you uncover; and how to collect and organize your findings in family group sheets and pedigree charts.

Rebuild Your Ancestors’ Lives <>Of course, genealogy is about more than just collecting facts. It’s about discovering the real lives and stories of your ancestors. In addition to showing you genealogical resources and methods, Discovering Your Roots reveals how you can flesh out your forebears’ lives and write engaging historical narratives that can inform and entertain family members or a more general audience. You’ll learn